AMA: Yates Looks to Break Into the Win Column at Mid-Ohio
12 July 2000
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship racer
Aaron Yates has been nipping at the heels of his teammate Mat Mladin and Honda's
Nicky Hayden all season long. Earning podium finishes in four of seven races so
far this year has made Yates the third-ranked rider in the series, but he hasn't
yet stood atop the podium. That could change this weekend (July 14-16) in the
Chevy Trucks Superbike doubleheader at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington,
Ohio.
Coming into this weekend's pair of Superbike races, the season has been
dominated by just two riders, Mladin and Hayden. Mladin, the defending champion
and current series leader, has never had a great deal of luck at Mid-Ohio. He
did finish as runner-up to Doug Chandler at last year's event, but prior to that
he had finished 21st, fourth and seventh in previous races. This weekend, the
Australian will be looking for his first win on the scenic 2.4-mile circuit.
This weekend's double-header will be Hayden's second and third Superbike
races at Mid-Ohio. As a Superbike rookie last year, he battled for second place
before crashing out of the race. The young rider from Kentucky will not be able
to afford a mistake like that this year if he is to catch the red-hot Mladin in
the championship chase. After winning last Saturday in Monterey, Calif., Hayden
is just 9 points out of first.
Mid-Ohio presents a perfect opportunity for Yates not only to close on
Mladin and Hayden in the points chase, but also to prove that he can beat the
top two riders. Yates, of Milledgeville, Ga., likes Mid-Ohio. The twisty circuit
plays into the Georgian's aggressive riding style. He won the Superbike race at
Mid-Ohio in 1998 and would love to join Fred Merkel, Miguel Duhamel and Doug
Chandler as the only riders to win Mid-Ohio's Superbike race more than once.
Chandler and Duhamel are having off seasons by their standards. Chandler, a
three-time Mid-Ohio winner from Salinas, Calif., has only earned one podium
finish so far this season when he was third at the opener in Daytona Beach, Fla.
For Duhamel it's been even worse. The 1995 AMA Superbike champ has
struggled on the new Honda RC51. While he has managed to finish fourth two
times, he has also finished outside the top-10 twice, something very rare for
the veteran racer from Montreal.
In addition to Saturday and Sunday's Chevy Trucks Superbike finals, fans
will get a full slate of support races this weekend.
The Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport Series has been one of the most hotly
contested class in AMA road racing. There have been five different winners in
five races coming into Mid-Ohio, with Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom holding a slim
2-point lead over Kurtis Roberts of Erion Racing Honda.
In the Lockhart Phillips USA 750 SuperSport Series, it is young
Valvoline/Emgo Suzuki rider John Hopkins leading the way by 3 points over series
veteran Jimmy Moore of Ricci Motorsports.
In the MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series, last year's Mid-Ohio winner Chuck
Sorensen is leading the series coming into this weekend, but he is rapidly being
caught by legendary AMA 250 GP rider Rich Oliver. After his bike quit at
Daytona, Oliver has been on a tear winning three races and moving into second in
the standings.
In the eSportbike.com Formula Xtreme Series, Kurtis Roberts is undefeated
so far this year. His Erion Racing Honda teammate, Josh Hayes, is hoping to make
his return from injuries early in the season by getting his first win of the
year.
In the Buell Pro Thunder Series, consistent finishes have helped Jeffrey
Nash to take the points lead, but he is still looking for his first win in the
series coming into this weekend.
For tickets to the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship races at
the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires, call (800) MID-OHIO.
Saturday and Sunday's Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike races will be broadcast live
on Speedvision, at 2pm local time. Check local listings, as broadcast times may
vary.
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